BBTF.org/m/community : Jeff Pearlman Blog: One of the saddest things ever

Friday, March 01, 2013

SABR Analytics Conference, March 7-9, 2013 Phoenix, AZ

(sabr.org)

posted on March 01, 2013 at 02:29 PM by Mike Emeigh to analysis, community, research, sabermetrics, sabr | 1 comment(s)

The 2013 SABR Analytics Conference will be held Thursday, March 7 through Saturday, March 9, 2013, in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Thursday’s programming will be held at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, 555 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Friday and Saturday’s programming will be held at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, 340 North 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

Joe Posnanski and Bill James are among the featured speakers, and there ...

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1. McCoy posted on September 14, 2009 at 03:51 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

It is never fun to learn that one of your favorite writers has a disease that takes his gifts away. For me my sad day was learning that Terry Pratchett has alzeimer's.

2. Flynn posted on September 14, 2009 at 03:57 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I thought this might be about Jim Carroll. That bummed me out. I'm a little late to the party as I just finished reading the Basketball Diaries on the plane about 6 hours ago or so, but it was a fantastic book.

3. Dan Szymborski

posted on September 14, 2009 at 04:15 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

That's terrible news. He has a reputation for being a really great guy, helpful to people entering into the industry. Of course, even if he wasn't, I still wouldn't wish it on anyone.

When I saw the headline in Hot Topics, I was hoping it was some Pearlman bashing referring to his analysis, but this is much, much worse!

4. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) posted on September 14, 2009 at 04:21 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

"When I saw the headline in Hot Topics, I was hoping it was some Pearlman bashing referring to his analysis, but this is much, much worse!"

Agreed.

This kind of stuff is hard on the patient, but even harder on the family. They're going to need all the help and good wishes that they can get.

5. Guapo posted on September 14, 2009 at 04:26 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Many years later, as Rod was looking worse and worse with Parkinson’s, and on his last baseball season, so that was 2002 or 3 or 4, was stuck in a couch and could not get up. No one noticed he was struggling to get up from the couch until Barry Bonds walked by and said, “You need some help?” And he gave Rod a good pull and helped him up, then looked at him a little more closely and remarked, “You don’t look too good. What’s wrong?” When Rod told him he had Parkinson’s, Barry shook his head and told him, “That sucks. I’m sorry.” And Rod told me he meant it. I refused to believe Barry could be that nice spontaneously, but Rod was adamant that Barry has a heart and showed it. He was visibly touched by Barry’s gesture.

6. Swoboda is freedom posted on September 14, 2009 at 04:32 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I thought this might be about Jim Carroll. That bummed me out.

These are people who died, died.

Sorry

7. Best Regards, L.M. posted on September 14, 2009 at 05:33 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I refused to believe Barry could be that nice spontaneously

He's not Stalin, he's just a guy with a lousy attitude.

8. Obi One Kenobi Nil

posted on September 14, 2009 at 05:47 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

It is never fun to learn that one of your favorite writers has a disease that takes his gifts away. For me my sad day was learning that Terry Pratchett has alzeimer's.

And for me.

9. AROM posted on September 14, 2009 at 06:02 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I refused to believe Barry could be that nice spontaneously

Not hard for me to believe. People are more complex than the generalizations we assume about them from the limited view of media coverage.

10. Keith Law posted on September 14, 2009 at 06:14 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I met Rod once, in 2002, in spring training. He moved a little slowly, but it was more noticeable in his speech. His condition wasn't as bad as the Bonds anecdote indicates, so I'm guessing that took place at least a year later, probably more.

And I'm not surprised at all to hear that about Bonds.

11. Hang down your head, Tom Foley posted on September 14, 2009 at 06:19 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

That story about Bonds noticing Beaton was feeling bad was from when Barry was watching his dad die (or had already watched it happen.) It's not hard to believe Bonds would show compassion at that time, even if he was a worse person than Hitler or Mariotti.

12. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) posted on September 14, 2009 at 06:38 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

It's good that they're still married. A lot of dementia patients end up forced into divorce shortly after diagnosis, so that the surviving spouse's assets don't get entirely swallowed up by treatment costs.

13. James Bailey posted on September 14, 2009 at 06:45 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

People I've worked with who knew Rod always had only nice things to say about him and how funny he was. This sucks on a lot of levels. 58 is way too young to go.

14. Steve Treder posted on September 14, 2009 at 06:46 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

A lot of dementia patients end up forced into divorce shortly after diagnosis, so that the surviving spouse's assets don't get entirely swallowed up by treatment costs.

Score another one for our swell health care system!

15. Best Regards, L.M. posted on September 14, 2009 at 06:49 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Score another one for our swell health care system!

I agree with you, but let's not hijack this thread into a political discussion.

16. Swedish Chef posted on September 14, 2009 at 07:00 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Score another one for our swell health care system!

That happens in utopian Sweden too. I don't really see why a properly crafted health care system should subsidize spoiled rich kids' inheritance.

17. RJ in TO posted on September 14, 2009 at 07:19 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Score another one for our swell health care system!
I agree with you, but let's not hijack this thread into a political discussion.

That's already happened over here.

18. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy posted on September 14, 2009 at 07:19 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I don't see why people expect a couple million dollars of free health care, so that you can die in August instead of May.

19. GGC don't think it can get longer than a novella posted on September 14, 2009 at 07:24 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

This does sound sad. I'm sure I read him during Baseball Weekly's heyday, but I mainly recall Paul White, Lisa Winston, and the fantasy guy (John Hunt?). About the only Primer moment of his that I recall was some inane column that Repoz linked.

20. Ned Garvin: Male Prostitute posted on September 14, 2009 at 07:37 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Not to distract from talking about the guy dying from a terrible disease, but...

Since when were people awestruck by your obvious genius merely because you attended the University of Delaware?

The University of Delaware. It's the Harvard of Delaware.

21. SteveM. posted on September 14, 2009 at 07:40 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I bought a USA Today every week day for twenty years, starting in college. Of course it was never the best paper for news around, but in the pre and early days of the internet, its extensive sports coverage and best of all, its boxscores. I always enjoyed Rod Beaton's work because you got the sense he was a baseball fan, not just someone assigned to it, That is a horrible way to die, tough on him and even tougher on the family.

22. Roadblock Jones posted on September 15, 2009 at 12:36 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Since when were people awestruck by your obvious genius merely because you attended the University of Delaware?

Blue Hens stick up for one another.

All you Mets and Jeff Pearlman fans should know that he will be speaking about The Bad Guys Won this Tuesday nite (9/15) at the monthly Mets 10-step program at Two Boots Tavern on the LES.

Details here.

23. Liver of blaspheming 'zop posted on September 15, 2009 at 12:58 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Advanced dementia at 57? ####, I wouldn't wish that my worst enemy, let alone a guy whose work I like.

24. AndrewJ posted on September 15, 2009 at 01:41 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Fidrych, Kalas, Beaton... This has been one dark year.

25. McCoy posted on September 15, 2009 at 02:01 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was really hoping for more talk on Pratchett but alas. . .

26. RJ in TO posted on September 15, 2009 at 02:12 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

There's not much to talk about. He's got early onset Alzheimers, they're doing what they can to try and treat it and otherwise slow the progress, and the whole thing really, really sucks. He's still one of my favorite writers (with Eco and Rushdie), and it's dreadful to think about what he's going through.

Like so many people, one of the things which I know I couldn't handle would be the knowledge that my mind and memories were going to be taken away from me.

27. McCoy posted on September 15, 2009 at 02:23 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was hoping for a discussion on his books really not on his malady. You know how when somebody brings up Pavemment or the Woodbury Jocks it spawns a 500 post thread on obscure and horrible music.

28. David Nieporent (now, with children) posted on September 15, 2009 at 02:45 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I wouldn't wish that [on] my worst enemy

Really? I would.

29. Jeff K. posted on September 15, 2009 at 03:01 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

I very much remember Beaton's name from Baseball Weekly, but not much about his work other than it being good, solid fare most times out.

Of course it was never the best paper for news around,

Okay, that post on the Ichiro thread a little bit ago, where I gave out the understatement of the year award? Recount.

Really? I would.

Hey! I'm the #######, you're the libertarian lawyer. Remember your roles, people. You don't wish grisly deaths on people, and I don't dreamcast posts about the joys of rampant deregulation.

30. Repoz

posted on September 15, 2009 at 03:56 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

About the only Primer moment of his that I recall was some inane column that Repoz linked.

I'm pretty sure I linked to a few and Rod got Primated pretty well. We chatted a bit but I don't think he ever came on board.

31. Ron Johnson posted on September 15, 2009 at 04:01 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

OK McCoy. I got into Pratchett via Michael Moorcock -- which is about as odd a connection as you can think of. Moorcock's a pretty gloomy reviewer as well a writer so when he gave Pratchett a rave review I figured it was worth a shot.

Can't say I've ever regretted the decision. A handful don't make my re-read shelf, and I could live without the preachy side (particularly of the stories featuring Vimes) of some of the books but still, if he writes it I'll buy it.

Nation has grown on me. I think my initial disappointment was that the first Pratchett after the announcement wasn't a Discworld novel.

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Friday, March 01, 2013

SABR Analytics Conference, March 7-9, 2013 Phoenix, AZ

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